11 - BJ Young

Arkansas

NBA Comparison: Von Wafer

Strengths: Young is a very quick player whose speed and athleticism are by far his biggest weapons ... Has excellent blow-by ability and a great first step, which gets him a lot of easy looks at the rim ... Uses his speed to draw a number of fouls ... Young is an excellent open-court scorer. He's an aggressive transition player who can beat the defense to the basket ... Good ball-handler, which further enables him to get past his defenders on the perimeter ... Good length (6'7.5" wingspan) helps him on the defensive end ... Quick shot release, which allows him to get shots off without much space ... Streaky scorer who can get hot and be difficult to stop ... Could be an ideal pick-and-roll player ... Showed good outside shooting ability his freshman year, making 41% of his three-pointers ... Has potential to become a good bench scorer and a solid perimeter defender in the NBA ...

Weaknesses: Young's size is certainly an issue, as he is definitely a shooting guard rather than a point guard ... Needs to fill out his frame. In the NBA, his quickness and ability to get to the rim will be neutralized when he draws contact from bigger defenders ... Young appears to have a "hero ball" mentality, as he can be guilty of poor shot selection and trying to do too much for his team ... His shooting took an alarming dive from his freshman to his sophomore year. His 3pt. shooting decreased from 41% to 23%, and his field goal shooting dropped 5 percentage points, as well ... His decision-making can be poor, in both his shot selection and his passing ... His quickness doesn't always translate to his perimeter defense like it should ... Somewhat turnover-prone ... Needs to fight through screens harder ... Is able to get to the rim, but sometimes misses easy looks there ... Young seemed to be a little overwhelmed by his expanded role in the Arkansas offense his sophomore year. He became a much less efficient player overall. He needs to show he can blend in to an NBA offense ... Not surprisingly, there is a correlation between Arkansas losing and Young taking a lot of shots ... Character issues may be a concern for Young, as he was expelled from two high schools and reports say the Arkansas coaching staff has had less-than-glowing things to say about him to NBA personnel ...

Overall: Young has the speed and explosiveness to be a talented scorer at the next level, but he needs to prove he can play within the offense. If he can do that, make smarter decisions, and be the shooter he was his freshman year, there will be a place for him on an NBA roster.

Jacob Stallard 6/17/13

Strengths: Young is a 6’3 soph. guard who enjoyed a strong Fr. season in the SEC … Showcased some very promising potential and production … Playing in the up-tempo Arkansas scheme, Young flashed some explosive offensive talent … Has a natural ability to simply put points on the scoreboard getting his own shots or playing off the ball … Very good athleticism, has high level explosiveness, speed and quickness, and uses all of them to make impacts on games on both ends … An aggressive offensive player who can put points on the board in bunches … Possesses shot making ability ... Had outstanding per minute scoring numbers last season, especially for a guy who was just a Fr. in a tough league like the SEC … Really flies around the court, plays with a live motor … Excellent first step … Is a monster threat in the transition game, where his speed and ability to weave in and out of traffic allows him to get to the bucket and convert shots efficiently … Will finish above the rim with his leaping skills … Pretty shifty ball-handler, able to hesitate and blow by very quickly and effectively … Understands how to attack his man off the bounce, good at attacking defenders who aren’t moving their feet properly … Effectuve floater … Shot the ball well as a Fr., making nearly 40% of his 3’s … Has a very “unorthodox” quick and compact shooting motion, that allows him to get off shots against contests … Has range out to 25 ft., but is most effective around 20-22 … Could be a tough guard in pick and roll offense, given his quick jumper and his freakish speed … Is a threat in the passing lanes, having the length and quickness to get steals…Has good defensive potential, especially with his energy level…Still has untapped potential, which is scary given how efficient and productive he was a Fr. in a tough league

Weaknesses: A tweener lacking true PG skills and ideal size at the SG position ... Very thin and needs to fill out his frame, although he seems to have the build to do so … Can be knocked off his path by stronger, more physical defenders ... Some think he may be able to play some PG, but even though he’s unselfish, he doesn’t have the feel for setting tempo that a true PG has … Needs to develop a few more moves off the dribble, just in case his initial burst isn’t quick enough to get him blow by’s … He shot well as a Fr. from the perimeter, but he doesn’t have a natural jumper and it often looks like he just has the raw shot making ability to get a pass, but he will need to develop more touch and better form on his shot … Kind of a gambling defender, likes to take risks on D, for better or worse … Struggles getting through screens, given his size … Doesn’t have the best fundamentals on either end of the court … The Mike Anderson pressing style that he plays at Arkansas is highly effective in college ball, but he will have to learn some of the more intricate principles of man to man half court D in the NBA ...

Overall: Young is an intriguing offensive talent who lit up scoreboards for Arkansas in relatively limited minutes … He is a really tough assignment due to his jet-like speed and quickness, and he is also a threat with his ability to stick the jumper, so he will be able to score … Young needs to get stronger and learn to play with more pace to maximize his potential though …